Today could be D-Day for the Macondo well. According to reports, BP is conducting a test to determine the likely success of killing the well from the top, while getting in position to assault the well from the bottom.

This two-pronged attack is expected to begin tonight or tomorrow with a static kill in which heavy drilling muds are pumped into the Macondo's cap and down into the well.

If the static kill works, the pressure inside the well will fall from 6,980 psi (pounds per square inch) to zero as the mud forces the rising oil and gas back down into the earth. Then engineers hope to force cement through the top of the well to permanently plug it from the top.

To further ensure Macondo's death, the relief well will intercept the wellbore and pump in heavy mud and cement, forcing the oil a... more »

The House spill bill that passed today will cost American jobs, slow economic growth and will place our energy security at risk.

This is an anti-jobs, anti-consumer and anti-energy bill. Instead of addressing the risks of offshore development by improving safety and establishing a robust system for covering the costs of possible future accidents, this bill effectively bans development and sends thousands of workers in offshore communities to the unemployment lines.

The unlimited liability provisions will drive the vast majority of American companies out of U.S. waters because they will not be able to obtain insurance coverage. Those remaining will be subject to huge cost hikes, reducing energy production, economic growth, American jobs and government revenues.

While the House recognized th... more »

Several activities are underway today that could have a significant impact on America's energy policy. They include congressional efforts to pass energy legislation as well as the killing of the leaking Macondo well.

Today the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act of 2009 (CLEAR) Act. This bill is purported to be a response to the Gulf oil spill, but it reaches far beyond the accident.

If passed, it would impose higher energy taxes, require the federal takeover of state offshore waters, restrict offshore energy development and remove the liability cap on oil spill damages, which would exclude small- to mid-size energy companies from operating in the Gulf.

The bill is a jobs killer and API opposes it. The House is likel... more »